Starfield (PS5) Review: Never Been a Better Time To Jump In

While not a Cyberpunk 2077-style disaster, the launch of Starfield was certainly underwhelming. Rather than having a ton of bugs and glitches, the latest action role-playing game from Bethesda failed to be captivating. Now over two years, many updates, and a duo of expansions later, Starfield arrives on PS5 as the best it has ever been.

If you’ve played a recent Fallout or Elder Scrolls game, then you know what to expect here. Bethesda has successfully taken its action RPG formula to space. However, it’s the new additions that are the most interesting, as getting to customize your spaceship and manage your crew provides some of the best experiences. Planets can be hit or miss in terms of interest, so the Bethesda magic that comes from exploration can sometimes take a while to occur.

As for the PS5 port itself, Bethesda has done a great job getting the game to run. There’s a wide variety of performance options, especially on PS5 Pro, as you can choose to target 30, 40, 60, or an uncapped frame rate, and there are visual and performance modes (plus a PS5 Pro-exclusive enhanced setting that is the best of both worlds but isn’t recommended when targeting 60 fps or above). There’s also quite a bit of DualSense integration, ranging from the light bar showing your health to being able to turn on adaptive triggers so you can feel weapon resistance. It all results in a game that plays and looks great on PS5 Pro.

Ever since its initial release, Starfield has received a lot of updates that have improved the game. My favorite is the wide range of survival gameplay settings that have been added, and a lot of players don’t know about them. Everything from food healing to ammo weight and sleep healing can be tweaked, and there’s a ton of different modifiers for Starfield. You can really modify the game to your liking, making it a harsh survival game if you choose, or lessening the elements almost completely. I highly recommend new PS5 players go through the options when starting the action RPG, as there’s a game that fits your needs if you’re willing to go under the hood.

The PS5 release of Starfield comes at a particularly interesting time, as it gets a free update called Free Lanes and a paid story expansion called Terran Armada. The Free Lanes update really improves exploration, as you can now fully fly between planets and use cruise mode to do ship management while flying. A number of new space encounters have also been added, so it feels like a more dynamic game, which was always one of its issues before. There’s also a new resource called X-Tech, which allows you to customize your ship and weapons and even re-roll legendary weapon effects. Throw in enhanced outposts (including the ability to get alien pets!) and some other tweaks, and you’ve got a much more fully fleshed out game.

Meanwhile, the new Terran Armada DLC is just $9.99 and adds a new storyline to experience, focusing on the robotic enemy colony. There are some interesting story beats, and you even get a robotic companion of your own as a Terran Armada robot has been reprogrammed. There’s also a new incursion system, which provides some wild action as you get into fights and even infiltrate Terran ships. There’s some great gear to be found in these, plus new ship parts. The expansion is a great value, and I’d recommend picking it up alongside the game.

Starfield (PS5) Review: Final Verdict

There has never been a better time to jump into Starfield. The new Free Lanes update and Terran Armada further enhance the experience, which has become highly customizable and a lot of fun once you customize your ship and begin exploring. Whether you’re returning to the Milky Way galaxy or setting off on an adventure for the first time, you’ll find a rewarding experience waiting to be had after years of enhancement.

Disclosure: The publisher provided a digital copy for our Starfield PS5 review. Reviewed on version 1.000.002.